1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital photo sessions and more particularly to personalized online photo sessions that is similar to photo viewing in person.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photo sharing has evolved over the years. With the rise in popularity of the internet and digital cameras, photo sharing has changed significantly. The days of getting together and personally sharing photos of events have been replaced by sharing photos online by generating photo sessions that enable the users to upload the photos of an event and inviting other users to view the photos over the Internet. With the online photo session, users are able to enjoy shared viewing while being physically remote.
There are many different photo sharing services that provide users different options and features for making the photo sharing a pleasant and rewarding experience. Currently available photo sharing services provide tools and controls to organize, archive, re-size, publicize and share the photos at various different levels. Some photo sharing services provide tools that are excellent organizers while some others provide tools that are good for editing. Still others are easier to use and navigate around. Majority of these photo sharing services are accessible through mobile devices and provide various levels of customization.
However, there are certain limitations with the online photo sharing services. These photo sharing services provide very limited control for the viewers to manipulate the photo session thereby severely limiting the photo sharing experience. For instance, the photo show is controlled primarily by a master user and the other users are just passive participants who are allowed to just view the photos. In such instances, the other users are unable to control the photo show or actively participate in the photo show. The conventional photo sharing sessions lack the depth or intimacy that is available when sharing photos in person.
It is in this context that the embodiments of the invention arise.